County board further limits pay for chairman

A month after agreeing the Oconto County Board chairman should be treated like every other supervisor, board members decided April 23 that he shouldn’t.

The board adopted a change in its financial management plan — superseding a change in county board rules — which excludes the chairman from a rule that allows supervisors to receive a half per diem should a committee formally approve their presence at another committee’s meeting.

The change was proposed by Jerry Beekman, who said that was actually the purpose of the change in county board rules approved last month and formally adopted at the annual meeting on April 21.

“The intent of that salary is to compensate the county board chairman for the extra meetings he’s expected or wants to attend with our county business, and that was the end of it, on Tuesday when he we passed it,” Beekman said. “We thought it would be then end, but it not the end … it’s popped up again in the Financial Management Policy. The intent of the county board was for you to draw a per diem for those meetings that you’re a member of. This, it kind of defeats what this county board wanted to do in the changing of our rules.”

Supervisor Rose Stellmacher said she “was sure” the proposed change in the financial management plan — meant to clarify the procedure under which a supervisor can seek a half-per diem — was “directed at the county board chair, so (he’s able to be paid) for attending all these meetings.”

The board chairman, she added, can attend any meeting he wants.

“I think this is opening up a whole can of worms,” Stellmacher said.

Supervisor Melissa Wellens disagreed, saying the rule convers supervisors going to a meeting at the request of a committee.

“This isn’t just if a supervisor wants to attend their meeting,’ she said.

Administrative coordinator Kevin Hamann said that in order to be paid, the appearance at the meeting would have to approved by a committee, “which will need to justify why that person should be there.”

Beekman said without his proposal, any committee could request the chairman to attend a particular meeting, meaning he will be entitle to draw a half-per diem.

“This has already cropped up, in my own committee law enforcement,” he said. “It voted to ask chairman to come to our meetings regarding construction of the new jail … I don’t disagree with that at all, the chairman should be there, it’s a responsibility of his to be there, but is it necessary to pay him per diem, to encourage him to come to that meeting? I don’t think so. I think that’s the purpose of the county board in receiving the salary.”

County board chairman Leland Rymer is paid $7,200 a year. All supervisors can claim $70 for each board meeting and $60 for a committee meeting, along with mileage to and from meetings. He has come under fire in the past several months for what other supervisors contend are excessive and even inappropriate claims for per diems.

Beekman, who along with Stellmacher has vigorously pushed limiting the chairman’s compensation, said the board needs to look after the public’s interests and not spend money frivolously.

“I don’t think paying per diem to the county board chairman for these reasons is valid,” Beekman said. “I think we should end it, and end it right here today.”

Stellmacher added it would reflect badly on the board if they’re not attending a meeting unless they’re receiving a per diem.

Rymer, as he has at previous meetings, reiterated that attending committee meetings are best way to keep up on county business, and that his presence in the past has saved the county money.

Rymer also noted he spends plenty of time at the courthouse meeting with department heads and others, which he said is also part of the salary.

‘I’ve always been here, I’ve always looked out for the county,’ Rymer said. “I spend a lot of time here and that’s good, that’s up to me. That’s the way I run it, that’s the way I’ll always run it.”

Rymer added that attending meetings wasn’t a matter of $30, and said as long as he’s chairman he’ll be involved in the Law Enforcement Center project until it is complete.

“I just feel the chairman should (be treated the) same as a committee member, anyway, be treated and get that (per diem for attending a meeting),” he said.

Supervisor Chris Augustrine said that the board was arguing over a relatively modest amount of money.

“So however this plays out, is it a huge deal?” Augustine asked. “Let’s get this done and behind us.”

Augustine suggested that before the next annual meeting, a review of compensation for the chairman needs to be done.

“For the amount you’re paid, you’re not doing it for the money,” Augustine said.

The motion to make the change excluding the chairman from the half-per diems was approved 20-9, with Rymer, Wellens, Buzz Kamke, Dennis Kroll, Robert Pott, Judith Buhrandt, Paul Bednarik, Richard Nelson, and Gregory Sekela all opposed.

The motion to finalize the rules was approved 28-1.

The county board chairman and vice chairman have long been able to claim per diem for any county meeting he attended, without approval from any committee. The county board rules change approved last month was intended to treat them as any other supervisor,” meaning they would need approval from a committee.

The board separately approved eliminating the health and dental insurance benefits extended to the chairman on Aug. 1.

Rymer, who has been criticized of late for keeping the insurance while he’s eligible for Medicare, said last month he would drop the coverage as of Aug. 1.

Rymer said that benefit has been in place since the 1950s, and said the change would save the count $13,185 between then and next April, when his current term ends.

Stellmacher commended Rymer on his decision, but said it was much too late.

“I just am very confused you wouldn’t have done this at age 65, you would have saved taxpayers over $200,000 over 12 years, if you take an average of $1350 a month,” she said. “I applaud you for doing it now. I wish would have done it 12 years ago.